240 PRUNING. 



they are all cut back far enough, say one third to one 

 half their length, or even more in some cases, to insure 

 the growth of all the buds. 



The upper shoot on each is selected for a leader, and the 

 others are pinched at two inches or less. After the pru- 

 ning, the arms are brought down half way to a horizontal 

 position, and towards the latter end of the season, wholly. 

 A uniformity of growth among all the parts is main- 

 tained according to the means and principles already laid 

 down, and year after year the tree is thus treated until 

 the requisite hight and number of horizontal arms or 

 branches be obtained. In the case of very vigorous 

 growing sorts the leader may be stopped in June, and 

 thus a second pair of arms be produced in one year. The 

 upright leader and the branches are treated in a similar 

 manner a difference in vigor always requiring a corre- 

 sponding difference in treatment. For espaliers, the apple 

 should be on the Paradise or Doucin, and the pear on the 

 quince^ because these stocks all diminish the vigor of 

 wood growth, which is often the chief difficulty in 

 managing trained trees. 



The aspect for these trees should never be due south. A 

 railing to train such trees on, is made of upright posts 

 sunk in the ground, and connected with cross-bars, at 

 eight to twelve inches apart, upon which the arms of the 

 espalier are fastened with willow or bass matting. Mr. 

 Rivers, in his " Miniature Fruit Garden," exhibits a sys- 

 tem of growing pears in espalier, in the form of pyramids, 

 as adopted by himself. I saw these trees when in Eng- 

 land, in 1849, and although it appeared a very ingenious 

 and economical arrangement, admitting a great number of 

 varieties in a small space, and besides very well adapted 

 to an English climate, yet it did not appear to offer any 

 advantages that would warrant its recommendation in 

 this country, unless under rare circumstances in the most 

 northern sections. Whoever will study attentively the 



